Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good evening, special ones.

Whew! Becki and I just returned from dropping off my cousin Skip and his wife Fama in SW Portland after I picked them up earlier to join us for our Thanksgiving dinner. With Andy and Delaine’s family present, we had a pretty good house full. I was glad Becki went with me on the taxi run as I was feeling pretty weary by the time we dropped them off. She drove home. I asked her if I snored. She said, “You sure did!” Anyway, all this activity impaired my intentions to get this original composition sent off. So I’m doing it later rather than sooner. A benefit to having Andy here was that he helped me with his expertise on a sign project—laying up graphic media on a big 5’x18’ aluminum substrate.

I had better go find my pillow. I think I know where it is.

Blessings.

Love, Dad/Ray.

My little head is more boggled than ever as I try to take in the overview—all we are allowed to know about Jesus. This whole plan conceived in the mind of God simply defies human reason—totally outside the box of human expectation. But the entire drama plays out with such precision in fulfillment of divine foreknowledge that I fail to comprehend how it could have been conceived by a man—or be tagged as some strange fluke combination of human success and failure. All I need to do to be overwhelmed is to ponder a couple snapshots—one of Jesus’ physical beginning (born in a barn), and one of His ending (hanging on a cross). To be sure, if the story ended there, it would just be another human tragedy. But the glorious Biblical fact is that Jesus’ time on planet earth was bracketed between two supernatural affirmations—a virgin womb, and an empty tomb. These two facts are so pivotal to the entire spread of Biblical revelation that they also become pivotal to one’s eternal destiny—like a math equation—believe it = SAVED/ETERNAL LIFE—disbelieve it, for whatever reason = LOST/PERISH.

Pilate was clearly a worldly arrogant jerk. He was afflicted with a rigid mindset that motivated him to use insult and sarcasm. Consistent with the psychology that typically drives that kind of attitude, he probably thought that such verbiage strengthened his own position of superiority. Notice the phrase he uses repeatedly to mock both the Jewish mob and Jesus Himself—“king of the Jews.” That was the first question he puts to Jesus in his private examination—“Are you the king of the Jews?” (v. 33) He was clearly nervous about having someone killed who didn’t deserve it, and thought he came up with a great strategy to set Jesus free. He told the angry mob, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews?’” (vv. 38-39). Good grief!—he could have said “this prisoner,” or “this person,” but instead he taunts the crowd into elevated rage by using that phrase still again—“Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews?” It’s just insane—or else meant to be. Listen again to this exchange where Pilate finally caves in: “’Here is your king,’ Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!’ ‘Shall I crucify your king?’ Pilate asked. ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ (…as if these Jews were dearly in love with Rome!) the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified” (John 19:14-16).

So, how is it?—really? Was Jesus “the king of the Jews?” Our Bibles give a straight-forward answer that I have no problem embracing: HE IS NOT ONLY THE KING OF THE JEWS, BUT THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS! (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14, 19:16) Let me add one more word: HALELUIA!!!